Joe Marchant (rugby union)

Joe Marchant
Full nameJoseph Marchant
Born (1996-07-16) 16 July 1996
Winchester, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight89 kg (196 lb; 14 st 0 lb)
SchoolPeter Symonds College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing
Current team Sale Sharks
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 Worthing 10 (35)
2015–2023 Harlequins 152 (315)
2015 → London Scottish (loan) 6 (0)
2020 Blues 7 (15)
2023–2026 Stade Français 73 (70)
2026– Sale Sharks 0 (0)
Correct as of 20 June 2026
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 England U18 7 (5)
2015–2016 England U20 13 (59)
2019– England 28 (20)
Correct as of 27 October 2023

Joseph Marchant (born 16 July 1996) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for PREM Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.[1]

Early life

Marchant was born on 16 July 1996 in Winchester.[2] He began playing rugby at the age of 6.[3] He studied at Peter Symonds College, taking a BTEC Extended Diploma in sport[3] and was captain of the rugby side there. Marchant has also been schooled at Littleton and Harestock and Henry Beaufort. He played for Winchester RFC as a school boy from 2002–12[3] and Symondians in 2013. He represented Hampshire rugby from u14-u18.

Marchant is also a Black belt in Karate.[3]

Club career

In 2014 Marchant joined the Harlequins academy and made his club debut against Newcastle Falcons in May 2015.[2] On 10 November 2019, the Blues, Auckland's Super Rugby team, announced that they had signed Marchant on their Instagram account. It was confirmed via their own website that he would be playing with them as part of a sabbatical clause provided by Harlequins to further his international experience and possibility of an England call up.[4] He featured in seven games and scored three tries during the 2020 Super Rugby season.[5]

In September 2020 Marchant started for the Harlequins side that lost to Sale Sharks in the final of the Premiership Rugby Cup.[6] The following year saw him score two tries during Harlequins 43-36 defeat of Bristol Bears in the Premiership semi-final, a game in which Quins recovered from 28 points down to win.[7] He started the following week in the 2021 Premiership final against Exeter Chiefs. Harlequins won the game 40-38 in the highest scoring Premiership final ever.[8]

In December 2022 it was announced that Marchant would leave Quins to join Stade Français.[9] In his last season with the club he scored a try in the 2025–26 Top 14 season quarter-final victory over La Rochelle.[10] They were eliminated at the semi-final stage by Montpellier.[11]

In November 2025, Marchant signed for PREM Rugby club Sale Sharks ahead of the following season.[12]

International career

Marchant represented England U18 winning 14 caps and scoring one try.[13] He has also represented England U20 scoring 59 points including ten tries. Marchant was a member of the side that won the 2015 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.[14] The following year Marchant was included in the squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and scored in pool stage fixtures against Italy and Australia.[15][16] He scored two tries in the final as England defeated Ireland to become champions.[17]

After impressive performances at junior level, Marchant earned a call-up by coach Eddie Jones to the senior England training squad on 1 August 2016 and the following month saw him subsequently named in the Test squad for the Autumn Internationals.[18] On 20 April 2017, Marchant was one of 15 uncapped players named in the senior squad for their summer tour of Argentina but ultimately withdrew prior to the trip due to injury.[19][20]

On 11 August 2019 Marchant made his Test debut as a second-half replacement for Jonathan Joseph in a World Cup warm-up match against Wales.[21][22] The following month saw him score his first try on his first start in their final warm-up fixture against Italy at St James' Park.[23] He was not selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[23]

After the World Cup Marchant gained another cap when he featured against Georgia in their opening fixture of the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.[24] He was an unused substitute in the final of the competition as England defeated France after extra time to win the tournament.[25]

Marchant was named in England's squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup by coach Steve Borthwick.[26] He scored a try during their quarter-final victory against Fiji.[27] Marchant started in the semi-final elimination against champions South Africa and also played in their last game of the tournament which saw England defeat Argentina to finish third with the Bronze medal.[28][29]

List of international tries

as of 15 October 2023[30]

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result CompetitionRef.
1 6 September 2019 St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England  Italy 21–0 37–0 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches [23]
2 26 August 2023 Twickenham Stadium, London, England  Fiji 20–23 22–30 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches [31]
3 17 September 2023 Stade de Nice, Nice, France  Japan 32–12 34–12 2023 Rugby World Cup [32]
4 15 October 2023 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France  Fiji 13–3 30–24 2023 Rugby World Cup [27]

Honours

Harlequins
England
England U20

Personal life

In August 2026, Marchant married Alan Shearer's daughter.[33]

References

  1. ↑ "Joe Marchant". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Joe Marchant". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Field, Katie (5 June 2015). "Hotshots: Harlequins centre Joe Marchant". Rugby World. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Joe Marchant: Harlequins centre agrees contract extension and loan". BBC Sport. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "Joe Marchant looks back on his Super Rugby stint with the Blues". Sky Sports. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Premiership Rugby Cup final: Sale Sharks edge out Harlequins thanks to late comeback". BBC Sport. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  7. ↑ Harby, Chris (19 June 2021). "Premiership semi-final: Bristol Bears 36-43 Harlequins (AET) - Quins reach Twickenham after stunning fightback". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  8. 1 2 Pilnick, Brent (26 June 2021). "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 38-40 Harlequins - Louis Lynagh's late double clinches title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Joe Marchant: England & Harlequins centre to join Stade Francais next season". BBC Sport. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  10. ↑ "Stade Francais 45-5 La Rochelle". BBC Sport. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Montpellier 25-15 Stade Francais". BBC Sport. 20 June 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Sale to bring centre Marchant back from France". BBC Sport. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "England profile". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  14. 1 2 "England Under-20s 24 France Under-20s 11". Six Nations. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  15. ↑ Middleton, Nathan (7 June 2016). "World Rugby U20 Championship 2016: England start Manchester tournament with win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  16. ↑ Middleton, Nathan (15 June 2016). "World Rugby U20 Championship 2016: England beat Australia to secure semi-final spot". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  17. 1 2 Middleton, Nathan (25 June 2016). "World Rugby U20 Championship 2016: England beat Ireland in final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  18. ↑ Jones, Chris (30 September 2016). "England Rugby: Eddie Jones calls up seven uncapped players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "Joe Marchant & Paul Hill out of England's tour to Argentina". BBC Sport. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  21. ↑ Kitson, Robert (11 August 2019). "England power to World Cup warm-up win and deny Wales world No 1 ranking". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  22. ↑ Grey, Becky (11 August 2019). "England beat Wales 33-19 in World Cup warm-up game". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  23. 1 2 3 Grey, Becky (6 September 2019). "Rugby World Cup: England grind out warm-up win over Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  24. ↑ Grey, Becky (14 November 2020). "England 40-0 Georgia: Jamie George scores hat-trick in six-try victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  25. 1 2 Henson, Mike (6 December 2020). "Autumn Nations Cup: England beat France in sudden death". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "England World Cup squad: Henry Slade & Alex Dombrandt miss out, Joe Marchant & Theo Dan in". BBC Sport. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 Grey, Becky (15 October 2023). "England 30-24 Fiji: Owen Farrell's boot seals Rugby World Cup semi-final spot". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Henson, Mike (22 October 2023). "England 15-16 South Africa: Springboks fightback settles World Cup semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  29. 1 2 Henson, Mike (27 October 2023). "Argentina 23-26 England: England overcome Pumas to win Rugby World Cup bronze-medal match". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Joe MARCHANT profile and stats". AllRugby. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "England 22-30 Fiji: Pacific island nation beat England for first time". BBC Sport. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  32. ↑ Henson, Mike (17 September 2023). "England 34-12 Japan: England run in four tries to beat Brave Blossoms". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Alan Shearer's youngest daughter marries England rugby star in stunning ceremony". 11 August 2026.
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